Saved by Doubt (CL)

This month we are talking about salvation. How are we saved, and from what?
I was saved, in the middle of college, from certainty. I was saved by my own doubts, and by a community that allowed me to embrace those doubts... and that embraced me with my doubts.

Some of you might already know my story, but here's a re-cap.
I went to church on-and-off as a kid, usually to Baptist churches with friends. I really wanted to believe in Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and savior, and sometimes I did. Sometimes, I didn't. I was told to have faith, to have trust, even through my doubts. And so I tried. I really tried.

My college years, like that time in many people's lives (ages 18-22 or so), were marked by great transition and a lot of uncertainty. A lot of doubts. Doubts about what I wanted to be when I grew up, who I wanted to spend my life with (or not), and what I believed to be true and right. I was changing majors a lot, and leaving behind a career I had planned on my whole childhood and teen years... I was engaged to be married, and then broke that off. I was in a Christian Sorority, and realized, sadly, that I wasn't really a Christian, at least not in the sense that they wanted me to be. I had a lot of doubts.

And then, one afternoon while procrastinating from writing a paper, I checked my email. A "spam" e-mail had gotten through my filters and I decided to open it up. One of the things in the email was a link to a quiz: Belief-O-Matic from Beliefnet.com. The quiz (which I linked here and hope you will take for yourself!) asked all kinds of questions about my beliefs: about God, about salvation, about the afterlife, about morality. I remember being afraid: What if God pulls out my Belief-O-Matic quiz results while I'm standing at the pearly gates, and denies me entrance to heaven because of my answers? But I decided to answer truthfully... The way I felt in my core (my soul, some might say), rather than how I thought I "should" answer. When I was finished, I hit "submit" and it tallied my results.

I was 100% Unitarian Universalist.

I had never heard of that long-named religion. Was it a cult?

So I clicked on the link provided, and it brought me to the UUA webpage, where I read all about this faith that honored doubts as well as answers, and honored people in all stages of their life and faith development. I sat at my computer in my dorm room, and I cried.

I was so grateful to have found a religion where I didn't have to pretend to be certain.
Where my doubts could be honored as a part of me, and where they could fuel my search rather than stunt my faith. I remember the way the minister, Rev. Laurel Hallman, began her prayer that first Sunday morning I attended church, and how she always began her prayers... to the "God of many names, whose mystery is beyond all our understanding." I remember feeling filled with gratitude for that address--one of humility in the face of the great Mystery--God is not God's name... It is the name we give to that which is greater than us all. I am so grateful, still, to be a part of a community that appreciates our questions, our doubts, and our full humanity, and not simply our professions of a particular belief.

I have been saved from certainty. I have been committed to a lifelong search for truth and meaning... Which by no means is an easy path. So, as the reading in our hymnal says (#650), "Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the attendant of truth.... Doubt  is the touchstone of truth; it is an acid which eats away the false... the truth stands boldly and unafraid... Therefore let us not fear doubt, but let us rejoice in its help."

Let us rejoice. For we have been saved.
Amen...     -Rev. Christina

Beyond Pews

The Roman Catholic Church is experiencing a tough time.  The Church is journeying through a very rough period, similar to but unlike anything in its history.  The Vatican will soon have a newly elected Pope and a Pope Emeritus; Catholicism is immersed in several scandals that remind all of its fallibility; the faith is hemorrhaging members and advertises for priests; it refuses to hear anything that suggests of breaking the male oligarchy of apostolic succession.  So it was with great interest that I read a recent New York Times op-ed piece.  The title caught my eye immediately: “Give Up Your Pew for Lent.”  The author, Paul Elie - a Roman Catholic and a professor at Georgetown - suggests that with all the confusion-creating events and misconduct in the Catholic Church, it’s time that the faithful take a break and collect their thoughts; he’s urging the faithful to take a “time out” and vacate their pews for a weekend.  And do what with their time?  He’s very clear how the break should be spent:

We should seize this opportunity to ask what is true in our faith, what it costs us in obfuscation and moral compromise, and what its telos, or end purpose, really is.  And we should explore other religious traditions, which we understand poorly. (3/01/2013

I don’t think the writer really believes that anyone who reads his column will follow his advice by spending the weekend church-free.  I’m not really sure that this was his hope or point, but, as I said, the headline sure caught my attention!  And so does the idea.

No, I’m not urging you to take a Sunday off from UUCA.  But consider this: If Elie’s use of “pew” is simply metaphoric - “pew” meaning stability, stasis, or what's expected from the church and yourself - then yes, give up your pew for Lent and maybe more: Give up your pew, forever.  When shouldn’t we be asking what is true in our faith?  It’s always appropriate to wonder what the opaque places are in your belief.  What purpose does your faith serve?  How are we as a faithful community serving each other and those in our region?  How much do you know - first hand - about other religious traditions?

     There are religious traditions where a believer or member can fall into a rut, a routine, the predictable.  I’ve never thought about Unitarian Universalism in this way.  If anything we are just the opposite, often taking great pride in living our faith outside the expected, and contrary to perceived norms.  Yet even the unpredictable can become predictable. Have you ever heard someone at UUCA tell a newcomer after a service, “It’s not this way every Sunday.”  Put enough of those experiences together and it becomes that way every Sunday!  Even in our theology, spirituality and social justice outreach, you’ve got to wonder if there is a particular way to be a Unitarian Universalist.  In other words, taking the time to review and reflect on your faith - to give up your pew - is always a good idea.

          Take care and see you soon,

                   Fred

The Wife of Jesus

The Hollis Chair of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School holds special meaning for Unitarian Universalists.  The professorship is the first and oldest endowed position in the U.S. It began in 1721, back when HDS was understood to be Calvinist in its theology and direction.  But times changed and with the liberalizing of New England, the status quo was challenged.  In 1805, Henry Ware, Jr., a Unitarian, was elected to the Hollis Chair and from that point on HDS was considered Unitarian (today, it’s an interdenominational graduate school of theology from which many UUs graduate).  Needless to say, Ware’s promotion created quite the flurry of fury among the orthodoxy.  Today, the Hollis Chair is held by Karen Leigh King - the first woman to hold the office - an Episcopalian, who, like Ware, has caused quite a fuss and stir (maybe it comes with the job!).
On Tuesday, September 18 (2012), Dr. King presented a finding while attending an academic conference in Rome (of all places!).  You probably have read or heard about it: “She identified a small fragment of fourth-century papyrus that includes the words, ‘Jesus said to them, “‘My wife.’”  Another clause appears to say, “‘she will be able to be my disciple.’”  Uh-oh!  What next?  Now, before you go and get all Dan Brown on this (Brown is the author of the wildly popular The DaVinci Code which is based on a similar kind of revelation), step back, take a deep breath and finish this blog posting.
For me, this is really not about Jesus.  Though our theologies are quite different, I  understand (and if I were a Christian I would agree with) Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest who wrote a NY Times op-ed piece entitled “Mr. and Mrs. Jesus Christ?”  Martin’s bottom line is that King’s revelation will make little-to-no difference for his faith: “[Jesus’s] life, death and, most important, resurrection would still be valid.  Nor would I abandon my life of chastity, which is the way I’ve found to love many people freely and deeply.  If I make it to heaven and Jesus introduces me to his wife, I’ll be happy for him (and her).  But then I’ll track down Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who wrote so soon after the time of Jesus, and ask them why they left out something so important.”  Yes, track them down Father Martin, and then after the gospel authors confirm that they included Jesus’s wife (girl friend, partner or disciple), then track down the early church leadership - the church fathers - and ask them about their editing, censorship and oppression that shaped the message they wanted Christians to hear and experience.  In other words, it’s all about power (and this is where Dan Brown got it right).
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that women had critical and integral roles in the shaping of the early church; they played important roles in the life of Jesus.  We know that there are other scriptures that were hidden; we know that in the copying (rewriting) of scriptures, they were edited; we know that the early church created a male dominated, misogynistic hierarchy.  That Jesus may have been married makes him more human and appealing to me and, more importantly, I feel, makes church fathers and their followers more suspect.
I’m proud to have our way of faith associated with the Hollis Chair of Divinity at HDS!  Those who have held the position (since Ware, there was another Unitarian Universalist) have been progressive and prophetic truth-tellers who are compelled to share their findings, beliefs and vision.  As we prepare for October's theme of vision, may we all do the same.
    Take care and see you soon,
       Fred

P.S. - Following Sunday's service, several asked me for my "introduction" to UUism.  For those who were not in church, here's the context: I was role-playing what I would say if I went door-to-door sharing our faith - as the Mormons do. "Hi, I'm Fred Muir.  I live here in Annapolis.  I’m a Unitarian Universalist and you may have never heard about us, but we are the religion claimed by five Presidents of the United States, five Nobel Laureates, an abundance of American writers, poets, activists and yes, even some heretics. We are a religion of open minds, loving hearts and helping hands.  I'd like to leave you a pamphlet that tells you more.  Have a great day!"

The 8th Principle (C)

In the Unitarian Universalist tradition, you hear a lot about the “7 Principles”. These are the backbone of our covenant with one another, the agreement we have made to walk together in right relationship and right action. We affirm and promote, through our Principles, respect for all people and our environment, free inquiry, use of conscience and democratic process, and justice for all.

What many Unitarian Universalists, especially those who are new to our religion, do not realize, is that these were simply drafted and voted upon by a group of delegates at a General Assembly a few decades ago. These were not handed down on Mount Sinai, they are not etched in stone, and they are not from God. They were just written, and voted upon.  They can be changed! In fact, they should be changed! According the UUA bylaws, a review should be undertaken regularly of the Principles, and changes should be made accordingly.

I'd like to propose an 8th Principle (This could be a suggested principle for our own hearts, even if it's never officially on paper) … "We affirm and promote these Principles, and honor our Sources of Inspiration, with a spirit of openness, gratitude, and humility."

Sources of Inspiration? These are the items that immediately follow the 7 Principles any time they're printed! You can find them in our gray hymnal or on the back of our Orders of Service. They describe the multiple ways Unitarian Universalists are inspired in their path, including one's own experiences and conscience, Judeo-Christian tradition and world religions, wisdom teachings of prophetic men and women, Earth-centered traditions, and science and reason. The beautiful thing about these sources is that they are ALL available to us for inspiration. One or two might speak more loudly to you than the others, but they come together. They are not a menu from which to pick and choose.

A Spirit of Openness?  We pride ourselves on our open-minded approach to theology, but when it comes down to it, we can be as fundamentalist as any religious zealot. It is good to know your truth, and to speak it, but when you do that to the exclusion of other possibilities, or other ways of life, you have abandoned the true Unitarian Universalist path.

Gratitude? Most newcomers to our churches, when I first speak to them, say something like this: "I am so grateful to have found a place where I can truly be myself, believe what I have known all my life, and ask questions!" At what point do we begin to take all of that for granted? Let's remember the gift this faith has offered us, and receive it with gratitude over and over again.

Humility?  Humility is the fruit of gratitude. When I first attended a Unitarian Universalist church, I remember the minister opening her prayer with the phrase "God of many names, whose mystery is beyond all our naming…" and I remember feeling so humble in that moment. We don't know God's name. We don't know much of anything, as humans. We strive to learn and grow each day, but we are still small, and we are still a piece of this grand universe. Fred told the story last Sunday of the blind wise people and the elephant. Each held a piece of the truth, but they could not grasp the whole thing, and so they misunderstood each other. Let's remember to be humble in our dealings with each other, with others we might not understand, or those with whom we disagree.

Our 7 Principles are a covenant, not a statement of belief. A covenant is a promise we make to each other, about how we are going to live our lives and create the beloved community. I would like us to think about not just WHAT we are going to do, but HOW we are going to do it. With openness, gratitude, and humility!

Blessings… -Rev. Christina